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Big boost for Saudi unemployed

JEDDAH: Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), an initiative of Abdul Latif Jameel Community Services Programs (ALJCSP), created 8,855 job opportunities during the first three months of 2009.

This represents nearly a quarter of this year's target (38,000 new job opportunities), which is an increase of 27 percent over the same period last year (6,825 job opportunities).

Some of the jobs have appeared through opportunities from the Human Resources Development Fund and the Saudi Credit & Saving Bank.

Jobs have also been created through ALJCSP's diversified job creation programs. During the first quarter, 576 new jobs were created through the training: 410 for men and 166 for women.

This program concentrates on vocational and craft training courses that end with employment in private sector companies throughout the Kingdom. Training courses are prepared in line with and according to the needs of the private sector.

During the first quarter of this year, such training areas included receptionists, salespersons and central operators. Beauty care and hospitality were the main areas for women. In addition, the direct employment program helped creating 1,781 jobs during the first quarter. The program matches job seekers directly to vacancies in the job market. Direct employment was achieved by analyzing job opportunities available with private companies or establishments, and defining the qualifications required for such jobs. The program created 1,124 jobs for men and 657 jobs for women.

Based on the microfinance concept, the productive household program provided support to 5,207 women throughout the Kingdom to start their micro projects, such as hand-made goods, perfumes and perfume mixtures, traditional food, bed sheets and pillows.

Re-payment rates for loans reached 99 percent in this program. Through cooperation with Zain, Bab Rizq Jameel offered job opportunities for women in telephone marketing services. In addition, jobs have been created for 16 women through the work-from-home program, which is supervised by Nafisa Shams Academy for Arts and Crafts, in cooperation with Bab Rizq Jameel.

Also during the first three months of this year, 946 small projects were financed -- 563 projects for men and 383 for women. The average loan was SR150,000 over a five-year re-payment period for new and existing projects. Finance provided for small projects increased by 309 percent compared with the same period in 2008.

Among the projects financed were restaurants, watch distribution franchises, advertising and media design, interior decoration, home beauty salons, confectionery and pastries businesses, health centers, electronics and other small projects. In addition, the program financed artists specializing in drawing and photography. The re-payment rate of the loans is currently 97 percent.

Through the taxi and truck ownership programs, 159 taxi cars and 170 trucks were provided for young Saudi men, who can work as drivers and use their vehicles to transport goods, vegetables, equipment and passengers. Comparing job opportunities available in each region, it is evident that Makkah province (which includes Jeddah, Makkah, Taif, Qunfudha and Al-Awamir) received the highest ratio with 2,802 new jobs, followed by the Eastern Province (1,728), Riyadh province (1,091), Madinah province (1061), Hail province (802), Jazan province (597), Abha province (410) and finally Qassim province with 364 job opportunities.

Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, chief job creation officer at Bab Rizq Jameel, said that 423 young men and women are working in the Bab Rizq Jameel team as job creation officers who are on hand in the centers to provide the necessary assistance. The plans are to open 20 new branches Kingdomwide by the year 2011.

It is expected that each branch will create 200 job opportunities per month, a total of 4,000 job opportunities per month and 48,000 job opportunities annually by all branches.

© Arab News 2009